ASD February Book Club: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women

For those of you who have followed our ASD book club recommendations, Harriet and I are currently in two book clubs. We read several books each month, and we suggest a book that we both enjoyed. For February, we are discussing the Lisa See novel, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is most correctly classified as historical fiction since it is based on an actual female physician, Tan Yunxian (1461-1554) who lived and practiced medicine during the Ming Dynasty. Although this novel is historical fiction, some of the story was based actual writings from Tan Yunxian in Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor.

Synopsis

A Confucius quote prominently displayed on the “Lady Tan” book jacket says “an educated woman is a worthless woman” giving you a sense of the difficulties a woman would face practicing medicine in China, especially in the 1500s. In Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, the author elaborates on Tan’s story from her childhood through her arranged marriage to her ultimate triumph as a woman physician who becomes an authority on specific ailments particular to females. Tan’s unusual upbringing from her grandparents, both doctors, and their willingness to teach her their craft is the basis of this story. However the story is much more. It also touches on the traditional role upper class women were expected to fulfill during this time period, focuses on strong female friendships, and discusses challenges that women faced when they became ill. Unfortunately they could only able to be diagnosed by a male physician who often was unfamiliar with female health issues. Through all of the difficulties Tan faced, it is her love of medicine that permeates her existence. The book is a tribute to Tan’s unwillingness to be relegated to an expected role and ultimately chronicles her successes. There is even some surprising intrigue that you will find fascinating!

Lisa See

Lisa See is the author of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. This is See’s eighth book of historical fiction, all based on Asian history. In total she has written twelve novels. It is likely you have either read one of her other novels or are familiar with her work. She is a best selling New York Times author and has won multiple awards. Several of her other well known books are The Island of Sea Women, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Shanghai Girls, Dreams of Joy and her biographical novel, On Gold Mountain. Her paternal grandfather was Chinese which helps explain her fascination with the culture. If you are interested in learning more about her, she has an excellent website. (lisasee.com)

Book Club

Food

One of the great things about introducing Lady Tan’s Circle of Women at your book club is that it is so easy to coordinate the food. Our hostess actually made a rice and chicken dish, but honestly take-out Chinese would probably work just as well (and would be so much easier!) We live in Los Angeles so there are many local Chinese restaurants that are terrific. But if you chose to actually make a Chinese dish, there a multitude on Food Network and Pinterest. We paired the meal with wine; however, if you go on Lisa See’s website, she has a book club tea tasting kit that might be fun to include. Finish it off with fortune cookies and almond cookies; you are set!

Discussion Questions

I have noticed that when our book club recommendations are being searched, often you are looking for questions for your group. I am going to try to keep better tabs on the questions that seem to get the most interaction. In the meantime, if you go on Lisa See’s website and scroll down to Discussion Guide, she has specific book club questions available. Lisa See lives in Los Angeles. She also offers to join your book club discussion (lisasee/book clubs). “I love to join book clubs on Zoom, Skype, and even speaker phone. If you would like me to visit your book club, please send me a note with the date, the time you meet, and the time zone. (I live in Los Angeles, so I’m on Pacific Time.)” How Fun! Sadly we didn’t know about her offer; if I were you I would connect to see if she may have time to join your book club discussion. That would be awesome!

Hopefully I have provided enough information that you are interested in reading Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. I think you will enjoy the book and that it is a wonderful selection for your book club.

XO

Wendy